Gold futures settle higher on Wednesday, a day after posting a nearly three-week low, with the metal finding modest support from weakness in U.S. stocks. Prices hold onto those gains in electronic trading after the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting.

After the last week’s volatility-laden performances in the major indexes, it might seem that investors would want to hide away into safe haven assets like gold. However, prices for gold are on the brink ...

Here's Jeffrey Gundlach's Take on What to Expect from Markets(Continued from Prior Part)Leading indicatorsAs opposed to what Trump claims about the US economy (SPY), Jeffrey Gundlach believes that weakness is evident in US economic indicators. On

Even though they’ve been around since the early 1990s, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) only started to gain real traction a decade ago. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, many investors moved into ETFs as a way of minimizing their risk and being able to control their portfolios easily. Another use of ETFs, by contrast, is […]

CNBC analysis using Kensho found that, given a 10-point pop in the VIX, the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF returns an average of 2.3% ten days after. The VIX was last seen at 20.55, up from lows under 13 on May 3, the last trading day before President Trump announced increased tariffs on Chinese goods. The analysis also found that both the SPDR Gold Trust and the iShares Gold Trust outperform with returns of about 0.9% on average.

Against the current backdrop of the U.S. trade war with China, and the fear and uncertainty that accompany the rampant volatility and the worst May selloff for stocks in 50 years now, gold prices will ...

Cryptocurrencies are staging a major come-back. For example, cryptocurrency Bitcoin bottomed out at around $3,360 at the start of the year and traded recently at $5,700. Now, with reports that Fidelity will roll out a crypto trading service within a few weeks, bet on prices firming up.Source: Shutterstock Fidelity is reportedly set to launch cryptocurrency trading service soon. A spokeswoman said that "We currently have a select set of clients we're supporting on our platform."Fidelity will focus on the Bitcoin cryptocurrency and will target institutional, not retail, customers. This is unfortunate for the crypto market because it would exclude two other major cryptocurrencies: Ethereum and Litecoin.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsSimilar to Bitcoin, Ethereum bottomed at around $154 and closed recently at $173. Litecoin traded as low as $31 in January and topped out at almost $92 on April 6. It settled at around $75 on May 6. * 7 Dangerous Dividend Stocks to Stay Far Away From Bitcoin Gains LegitimacyThe cryptocurrency market still struggles from getting taken seriously for a good reason. Fraud and theft are the chief problems the currency faces. Still, those caught stealing the currency are getting charged and indicted. For example, the man who stole $9 million was indicted in Israel.The bad news is that crypto theft is still growing at an alarming rate. Losses grew 70% from 2018 to $1.2 billion. This suggests that Fidelity will have to limit the growth of its service and tread carefully. It must prioritize security and threat detection first and foremost over everything else. Investing in Bitcoin ReboundAlthough investors will not have a chance to participate in Fidelity's entry in the crypto market, they could buy Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (OTC:GBTC) instead. Investors could buy the stock on the open market but should be aware of two things.First, the holding has a 2% annual fee. And second, it trades at a premium to the underlying Bitcoin. Investors could do more research to learn how to buy Bitcoin directly from exchanges. That would remove the unnecessary costs associated with gaining exposure in the cryptocurrency.Despite my concerns for GBTC, the stock is still a good trading vehicle for speculative investors. If Bitcoin rises, GBTC will go up, too. Likewise, if Bitcoin falls, GBTC falls. The stock has sufficient liquidity to allow for quick trades. Trade OverstockHolding shares of Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK) is another way to indirectly play the Bitcoin boom. Per Overstock's website:"We partnered with Coinbase, a Bitcoin platform, to enable Bitcoin as a form of payment on Overstock.com…Unfortunately, Bitcoin payments are not yet accepted through our Mobile website. However, the Pay with Bitcoin option is now available for Overstock international customers."Unfortunately, Overstock failed to secure $100 million in a fund raise in April. GSR Capital, a Chinese firm, does not have a definitive deal as the firm carries out its due diligence first.If Overstock succeeds in getting the investment it needs for the Bitcoin subsidiary, its stock could attract crypto investors. The stock is in a downtrend, trading recently below $13 and down 27% in the last quarter.Although its underlying business lost money last year, management is now aiming to generate $10 million in operating cash flow in 2019. Having Bitcoin prices perk up and getting its subsidiary funded will help the stock move higher.On Wall Street, only one analyst covering OSTK stock has a $51 price target. Shares trade at three times below that level. So, even with the surging Bitcoin prices, Overstock shares are unlikely to trade at that level. Your TakeawayBitcoin is a volatile asset class that is no different from other commodities. Oil, gas, and gold (NYSE:GLD) are also commodities whose prices fluctuate. Investors with the appetite to trade the price movements in Bitcoin could make plenty of profits.Timing the entry price on the drop and the exit when the cryptocurrency surges are the harder aspects of the trade.Disclosure: As of this writing, the author did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 7 Dangerous Dividend Stocks to Stay Far Away From * 7 Tips for New Investors Young and Old * 10 Great Stocks to Buy on Dips Compare Brokers The post Here's How to Invest in the Cryptocurrency Trading Services Boom appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), SPDR Gold MiniShares (GLDM) and other bullion-backed exchange traded products recently showed some signs of life, but gold ETFs need to close higher in May or risk extending the monthly losing streak to four months. It's still early innings, but another negative return in May would mark GLD's fourth monthly loss in a row -- its longest losing streak since the six-month slump that kicked off last April,” according to Schaeffer's Investment Research. While the first quarter of 2018 saw demand at just 984.2t, a 3-year low for the precious metal, gold demand in 2018 reached 4,345.1t, up from 4,159.9t in 2017 and in line with the five-year average of 4,347.5t.

Market players used up a substantial amount of buying power yesterday as they drove the indices straight up from the open and were unable to duplicate the effort so far this morning. The dip buyers just didn't have the conviction today and quickly turned into sellers as soon as the open low was breached.

China's Commerce Ministry said Tuesday that Vice Premier Liu He will be among the delegates visiting Washington to continue trade talks on Thursday and Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a statement from the ministry. The trip by China's top trade negotiator was at the invitation of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the ministry said. Lighthizer said Monday that the Trump administration will make good on a threat to raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods early Friday absent a breakthrough. That threat had been telegraphed on Sunday by a tweeting President Donald Trump, catching investors off guard and triggering risk-off volatility across global markets, which largely continued Tuesday. U.S. stock futures fell in early action after stocks closed lower Monday but had climbed from severe losses, with simmering trade tensions the key factor.

Sometimes the U.S. stock market sends a clear, unambiguous message. The message the stock market sent during Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference Wednesday says that the market is vulnerable. • The chart shows that the stock market rose immediately after the Fed decision was announced.

Investors wanting to stay ahead of the curve are wise to begin looking at the best exchange-traded funds to buy for a slowing economy. The best ETFs can help protect and diversify your portfolio.While the economy can be considered healthy on many counts, the GDP trend is clearly down. Depending upon which report you believe, the U.S. economy grew by about 3% in 2018. Growth was 4.2% in the second quarter of 2018, 3.4% in the third quarter and a 2.2% in the fourth quarter. The Federal Reserve expects GDP growth of 2.1% this year and 1.9% in 2020.The bottom line is that the economy is still growing but the pace of growth appears to be slowing. Now is not likely the best time to invest for recession, but it is a good time to tap down on risk while continuing to maintain exposure to the market. In different words, don't jump out of your stock funds and pile into cash. Just stay invested in a smarter way.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * The 10 Best Stocks to Buy for May To make smarter moves for a slowing economy, these are the best ETFs to consider holding now: Best ETFs to Buy for a Slowing Economy: SPDR S&P 500 (SPY)Expenses: 0.0945%, or $9.45 for every $10,000 investedLong-term investors are wise to hold a low-cost stock fund like the SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEARCA:SPY), no matter what the economy and markets are doing.SPY is an outstanding core holding to build upon in your portfolio because of its primary quality as a diversified stock fund. But this same diversification is a key quality to look for in a fund when uncertainty abounds in the market.Since SPY tracks the S&P 500, you'll get exposure to approximately 500 of the largest U.S. companies, as measured (and weighted) by market cap. This means top holdings include mega-caps like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). Healthcare Select Sector SPDR (XLV)Expenses: 0.13%The healthcare sector can be a smart defensive play when the economy is weakening, and the Healthcare Select Sector SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLV) is just what the doctor ordered for this condition.No matter what the economy is doing, consumers still go to the doctor and fill their drug prescriptions. For this reason, healthcare stocks can hold up better than a broad market stock index when the investor herd begins to shift into risk-off mode. * 7 Stocks That Are Soaring This Earnings Season XLV gives investors a diversified basket of health stocks, primarily large U.S. names like Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE). Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU)Expenses: 0.13%In addition to healthcare, the utilities sector is known for its defensive qualities, which makes an ETF like the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLU) a smart choice in a slowing economy.Utilities stocks are value-oriented investments, which tend to perform better than growth stocks as the economy gets closer to recession, especially when stocks enter a bear market.When the investor herd begins to turn away from the market risk of growth stocks, they like to buy the solid, dividend-producing stocks like XLU top holdings NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE), Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) and Dominion Energy (NYSE:D). Consumer Select Sector SPDR (XLP)Expenses: 0.13%Investors wanting broad exposure to defensive stocks will like what they see in the Consumer Select Sector SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLP).XLP tracks the Consumer Staples Select Sector index, which means it's full of defensive stocks in consumer industries and products such as beverages, household goods, food, and tobacco. Top holdings include Proctor & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP). * 7 Stocks to Buy That Ought to Buy Back Shares XLP can compliment other defensive stock funds investing in the healthcare and utilities sectors because there is very little overlap with these sectors. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)Expenses: 0.4%Investors wanting to build a defensive portfolio in anticipation of market volatility or a bear market may want to consider adding a low-cost precious metals fund like SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD).Unlike mutual funds that invest in gold and other precious metals, GLD does not invest in mining stocks; it simply tracks the price of gold bullion, less expenses.Funds that track the price of gold can be great diversification tools because gold price movements have very little correlation with stock prices. Investors wanting to add GLD, or other funds with narrow concentrations in one sector or asset type, are wise to allocate 10% or less of their portfolio so they can receive the benefits of diversification without adding unnecessary market risk. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (EEM)Expenses: 0.67%A slowing U.S. economy does not by default mean that economies elsewhere in the world are in trouble. If you want to diversify away from U.S. stocks, one of the best ETFs to do the job is the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (NYSEARCA:EEM).EEM tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which consists of large- and mid-cap stocks, with the greatest concentration of exposure to emerging and developed Asia, including China, South Korea, Taiwan and India. * 7 A-Rated Stocks That Are Under $10 Most of the holdings in the EEM portfolio are large-caps like Tencent Holdings (OTCMKTS:TCEHY), Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM). iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond (AGG)Expenses: 0.06%A slowing economy typically coincides with moderating or falling interest rates, which means bond prices can move higher. A cheap, diversified bond fund like the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond Fund (NYSEARCA:AGG) is one of the best ETFs in this environment.AGG tracks the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which consists of over 7,000 bond securities, ranging from Treasuries to corporate bonds and municipal bonds of all maturities.Although long-term bonds can see higher price gains during recession, a slowing economy can be more challenging to navigate, which is why diversification is key for bond holdings, as well as stocks, in this environment.As of this writing, Kent Thune did not personally hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. However, he holds SPY, XLV, XLP, GLD, and AGG in some client accounts. Under no circumstances does this information represent a recommendation to buy or sell securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * The 10 Best Stocks to Buy for May * 5 Elephant-Sized Companies Warren Buffett Could Buy * 7 Cheap ETFs for Novice Investors Compare Brokers The post 7 of the Best ETFs to Buy for a Slowing Economy appeared first on InvestorPlace.